PUCON, Chile — The first thing you notice when getting off the bus in Pucon in Chile’s Lake District is the smell of smoke from the wood-burning stoves that are ubiquitous around town. The next thing you notice is the volcano.
Located in Chile’s Lake District in the southeast portion of the Province of Cautín, Pucon and the surrounding area is home to Lake Villarrica and the Villarrica volcano. It’s about 11 hours by bus traveling south from Santiago, Chile’s capital.
The Villarrica volcano, at 9,395 feet, is one of the world’s few permanently active volcanoes, according to VolcanoDiscovery.com. The volcano erupted March 3, spewing smoke and lava and forcing a temporary evacuation of residents and visitors.
The volcano towers over the city and can be seen from practically every vantage point as you move around town. It’s located about 10 miles to the south of Lake Villarrica, within the Villarrica National Park.
Many travelers to Pucon come to see the volcano and then realize there are many other things to see and do when they get here. First on that list would be Lake Villarrica. The lake, with an area of 42,749 acres, was formed by glaciers in the last ice age and is popular among visitors in part because the water temperatures are in the 70s during the summer, making swimming and waterskiing popular. Fishing is also popular, with trout and salmon both populating the lake’s waters, and many guides are available for sport anglers.
The town boasts dozens of hotels and the restaurants offer a variety of cuisines, catering to a diverse group of travelers to the town. Particularly numerous and popular are restaurants offering churrasco steak and Chile’s renowned red wines.
There are more than 30 hostels in Pucon, according to hostelworld.com. Prices vary depending on the season but generally they are considerably less expensive than at a hotel.
Chile’s Lake District covers Chile’s Ninth Region, known as La Araucanía, and Tenth Region, called Los Lagos. It stretches from the city of Temuco at the northern end to Puerto Montte in the south. There are 12 major lakes, with dozens more smaller ones. There are numerous rivers, waterfalls, forests, thermal hot springs and the Andes, including six volcanos with Villarrica the highest.
